Orbital Ecocentrism: Harvey's Manifesto for Planetary Consciousness

Dr. Anupam Dutta

doi:10.22161/ijllc.6.2.1

Indexing and Abstracting

Orbital Ecocentrism: Harvey's Manifesto for Planetary Consciousness

Dr. Anupam Dutta

International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (IJLLC), Vol-6,Issue-2, March - April 2026, Pages 1-7, 10.22161/ijllc.6.2.1

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Article Info: Received: 25 Jan 2026, Received in revised form: 23 Feb 2026, Accepted: 27 Feb 2026, Available online: 03 Mar 2026

Abstract:

Samantha Harvey’s 2024 Booker Prize-winning novel Orbital serves as a profound ecocentric manifesto cultivating planetary consciousness in the Anthropocene. Set over sixteen orbits on the International Space Station, six multinational astronauts observe Earth’s revolutions from low orbit. This paper posits Harvey’s “space pastoral” as employing the orbital gaze to dismantle anthropocentric boundaries and affirm Earth’s intrinsic value as a biotic community. Rooted in Aldo Leopold’s land ethic and Arne Naess’s deep ecology, the analysis shows how the novel’s cyclical structure mirrors ecological rhythms, challenging linear temporality. Close readings of typhoons, auroras, and evaporating seas critique human degradation while fusing personal grief with planetary loss. The ecocentric sublime blends awe and sorrow, converting impotence into ethical demand for kinship. Using qualitative ecocritical methods—including close reading and intertextual analysis—the study explores interconnectedness, microgravity frailty, and manifesto implications for policy and education. Orbital calls for a shift from conquest to stewardship. This research advances spatial ecocriticism, highlighting the novel’s pivotal role in Anthropocene literature and providing a blueprint for transformative, regenerative narratives.

Keywords:

ecocentrism, planetary consciousness, orbital gaze, Anthropocene literature, deep ecology, land ethic

References:

[1] Cazajous-Augé, C. (2025). The Anthropocene cosmic sublime: Viewing the Earth from space in Samantha Harvey’s Orbital. Ecozon@, 16(1), 97–115. https://doi.org/10.37536/ECOZONA.2025.16.1.5545
[2] DesJardins, J. R. (2023). Environmental ethics. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2023 ed.). Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2023/entries/ethics-environmental/
[3] Harvey, S. (2024). Orbital. Jonathan Cape.
[4] Higgins, C. (2024, November 13). ‘I’m so not an astronaut!’ Samantha Harvey on her Booker-winning space novel – and the anxiety that drove it. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/13/samantha-harvey-interview-booker-winning-novel-orbital
[5] Kelly, S. (2024, August 15). Samantha Harvey interview: ‘I wanted to write a space pastoral’. The Booker Prizes. https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/samantha-harvey-interview-orbital
[6] Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County almanac. Oxford University Press.
[7] Naess, A. (1973). The shallow and the deep, long-range ecology movement. Inquiry, 16(1-4), 95–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/00201747308601682
[8] Parashari, N. K. (2019). Eco-criticism in contemporary literature: Reading nature in fiction and poetry. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 8(6), 82–85. https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol8(6)/Series-1/08068285.pdf
[9] Shamim, M., Sahu, U., & Dwivedi, V. K. (2025). Ecocriticism in literature: Examining nature in contemporary fictions. International Journal of Social Impact, 10(2), 405–415. https://doi.org/10.25215/2455/1002039
[10] Shapiro, A. (2024, November 13). Space becomes mundane in Samantha Harvey’s award-winning novel ‘Orbital’ [Radio broadcast]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/11/13/nx-s1-4699955/space-becomes-mundane-in-samantha-harveys-award-winning-novel-orbital
[11] Washington, H., Taylor, B., Kopnina, H., Cryer, P., & Piccolo, J. J. (2017). Why ecocentrism is the key pathway to sustainability. The Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere. https://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/statement-ecocentrism/

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Orbital Ecocentrism: Harvey's Manifesto for Planetary Consciousness

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